Oven control utilizing data-driven logic

Abstract

A method of controlling a cooking appliance is disclosed which includes receiving an input corresponding to a staged cooking function, retrieving a preselected parameter set from a data library, the preselected parameter set defining the staged cooking function and including a first heating element behavior parameter and a first temperature parameter, selecting a first heating element behavior from a control library based upon the first heating element behavior parameter, and operating one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior and the first temperature parameter. An oven and a tangible, machine-readable medium are also disclosed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling a cooking appliance, the method comprising:
 receiving an input corresponding to a staged cooking function; 
 controlling an algorithm flow of at least one of a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm and a hysteresis-based algorithm with a stored data configured in a data library corresponding to the staged cooking function; 
 retrieving a preselected parameter set from the data library, the preselected parameter set defining the staged cooking function and including a first heating element behavior parameter and a first temperature parameter; 
 selecting a first heating element behavior from a control library based upon the first heating element behavior parameter, wherein selecting the first heating element behavior comprises selecting the at least one of the proportional-integral-derivative algorithm and the hysteresis-based algorithm, which uses the first temperature parameter as a setpoint; and 
 operating one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior and the first temperature parameter. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, while operating the one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior, whether a first event has occurred; 
 selecting a second heating element behavior from the control library based upon a second heating element behavior parameter, in response to determining that the first event has occurred; and 
 operating the one or more heating elements according to the second heating element behavior and a second temperature parameter; 
 wherein the preselected parameter set also includes the second heating element behavior parameter, the second temperature parameter, and one or more parameters defining the first event. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether the first event has occurred comprises:
 selecting an input signal based upon an input type parameter, the input signal indicating a condition of the cooking appliance; and 
 comparing the input signal to an input value parameter using an input evaluator parameter; 
 wherein the preselected parameter set also includes the input type parameter, the input value parameter, and the input evaluator parameter. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein selecting the input signal comprises selecting one of a clock signal, a cavity temperature signal, a cavity humidity signal, a meat probe temperature signal, and a door position signal. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether the first event has occurred comprises:
 selecting a plurality of input signals based upon a plurality of input type parameters, each input signal indicating a condition of the cooking appliance; 
 comparing each input signal to one of a plurality of input value parameters using one of a plurality of input evaluator parameters to generate a plurality of Boolean values; and 
 evaluating a Boolean expression containing the plurality of Boolean values and one or more conditional operator parameters; 
 wherein the preselected parameter set also includes the plurality of input type parameters, the plurality of input value parameters, the plurality of input evaluator parameters, and the one or more conditional operator parameters. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining, while operating the one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior, whether a second event has occurred; 
 selecting a third heating element behavior from the control library based upon a third heating element behavior parameter, in response to determining that the second event has occurred; and 
 operating the one or more heating elements according to the third heating element behavior and a third temperature parameter; 
 wherein the preselected parameter set also includes the third heating element behavior parameter, the third temperature parameter, and one or more parameters defining the second event. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a convection fan behavior from the control library based upon a convection fan behavior parameter, the convection fan behavior parameter being included in the preselected parameter set; and 
 operating one or more convection fans according to the convection fan behavior, while operating the one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior. 
 
     
     
       8. An oven comprising:
 one or more heating elements; 
 a memory device storing a control library, a data library and at least one executable file, wherein the control library includes a plurality of heating element behaviors and the data library includes at least one preselected parameter set having a first heating element behavior parameter and a first temperature parameter, and wherein the at least one executable file controls a basic operation of the oven and is separate from a stored data in the data library, the data configured to control an algorithm flow of at least one of a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm and a hysteresis-based algorithm for controlling the at least one preselected parameter set; 
 retrieving a preselected parameter set from the data library; and 
 an electronic control unit configured to (i) access the preselected parameter set, (ii) select a first heating element behavior from the control library based upon the first heating element behavior parameter, wherein selecting the first heating element behavior comprises selecting the at least one of the proportional-integral-derivative algorithm and the hysteresis-based algorithm, which uses the first temperature parameter as a setpoint, and (iii) operate the one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior and the first temperature parameter. 
 
     
     
       9. The oven of  claim 8 , wherein: the at least one preselected parameter set further includes a second heating element behavior parameter, a second temperature parameter, and one or more parameters defining an event; and
 the electronic control unit is further configured to (i) determine whether the event has occurred, (ii) select a second heating element behavior from the control library based upon the second heating element behavior parameter, in response to determining that the first event has occurred, and (iii) operate the one or more heating elements according to the second heating element behavior and the second temperature parameter. 
 
     
     
       10. The oven of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor generating a temperature signal; and 
 a timer generating a clock signal. 
 
     
     
       11. The oven of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one preselected parameter set further includes an input type parameter, an input value parameter, and an input evaluator parameter; and 
 the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the event has occurred by (i) selecting one of the temperature signal and a clock input signal based upon the input type parameter and (ii) comparing the selected signal to the input value parameter using the input evaluator parameter.